The Conspiracy
by MohawkWoman
Summary: Uncas fears that Alice is going to leave him. *Today, June 19th, is Eric Schweig's birthday. So I thought I would pay tribute to him with a special birthday oneshot, dedicated to the man whose portrayal of Uncas continues to captivate us. Happy Birthday Eric!


**The Conspiracy**

Something was going on. Uncas knew it for a certainty as he sat on the riverbank, leaning his back against a tree. For over a week now, everyone had been acting strangely, and it coincided with his proposal of marriage to Alice. He hadn't done so in haste, not really anyway. He'd known for some time that he wanted to make her his wife. In fact, he knew it when he held the frightened young English woman in his arms behind the waterfall while they were hiding from Magua. He had been willing to die for her that day, and he nearly did after taking on an entire Huron war party in order to save her. And he was _still_ willing to die for her. In fact, he would do _anything_ for her. Anything except let her go. Which is what prompted Uncas to ask Alice to marry him, after he overheard a conversation between her and Cora.

It was the Strawberry Moon, or June as the white man called it, and nearly a year had passed since Uncas met Alice on the George Road. The events that took place afterwards formed a bond between the two of them, and after the cliff battle, she and Cora had remained with him and his father and brother while Uncas struggled to survive the terrible wounds he'd received. Never once did Alice leave Uncas' side as he clung to life. During those terrible days that he languished on death's door, she helped her sister nurse him back to health. Dutifully, she wiped his fevered brow with wet cloths, cleaned his wounds and changed his bandages. She even trickled water into his mouth when he was too delirious to drink. Once his raging fever had finally broken and his life was no longer in danger, she spoon fed him broth and soup until he was able to feed himself. It had taken Uncas the remainder of the summer and most of the fall to recover from his injuries. And it had taken a good portion of the winter to regain his strength and the use of his right arm again. Through it all, Alice stood by him, her faith in him never wavering, even when he himself had doubts that he would ever fully recover.

But recover he did, and the Munro sisters remained with the Mohicans even after the deep winter snow had melted with the coming of spring. Cora had her own reasons for staying. Having fallen in love with Nathaniel during their stay at Fort William Henry, she had agreed to marry him and make a life with him on the frontier. And Alice had chosen to stay as well, partly to be near her sister, and partly to be near Uncas. Or at least that's what Uncas thought. Now he wasn't so sure.

There had only been one discussion between the sisters about where Alice would live, whereupon it had been decided that she would stay the winter with the rest of them, and give her decision come spring as to whether she wanted to remain here, or return to London to live with her cousin. By the time spring arrive, it was no surprise to anyone that Alice wished to stay with Cora and her sister's new in-laws. And a delighted Uncas secretly believed that he was part of that reason. From there, it simply became a matter of his choosing the right time to ask Alice for her hand in marriage.

In the meantime, there had been much to keep Uncas busy, what with helping his brother and father with the construction of Nathaniel and Cora's new home. Up until now, everyone had been living in a large wigwam, built twice the length it would normally be and somewhat resembling a small longhouse. While roomy enough to comfortably accommodate five adults, it did not provide much in the way of privacy when the newlyweds decided to be intimate at night. Having lived most of their life in such a dwelling while residing in Mohican and Delaware villages, the men were used to such shared accommodations. The ladies, however, were not. And so, once the muddy ground had dried after the spring thaw, work began on building a new wigwam of similar construction, which Cora and Nathaniel were content to live in until logs for a cabin could be gathered and properly seasoned. It had taken no time at all for the three men to build the new wigwam, and an outdoor earthen oven for baking to go along with it. Once the dwelling was completed, the happy couple immediately moved in.

That was two weeks ago. And _that_ was when Uncas overheard the troubling conversation between Alice and Cora. Still leaning against the tree, he stared at the flowing water of the river as his mind took him back to that day.

It had happened one afternoon on a particularly warm day. Sitting in the shade behind his brother's new home, Uncas was about to begin sharpening his tomahawk and knife when he heard the sisters talking inside about how much their lives had changed since arriving in the colonies. Paying them no mind at first, his attention was soon caught when he heard Alice speak of how homesick she was for Scotland. There had been an unmistakable note of longing in her voice as she spoke, which made Uncas feel sad for her. That sadness rapidly changed to an intense uneasiness when Cora reminded Alice that their father's estate near Edinburgh had not been sold yet, and that she could still return there to live if she wanted to. When Alice replied that she would give the matter some serious thought, Uncas' uneasiness instantly turned into fear. He had never told her how much he loved her, foolishly assuming she knew the depth of his feelings for her. Now he realized she didn't know. And since she didn't, she felt there was no reason to stay here any longer.

Afraid that he had taken too long in confessing his love to Alice, Uncas was now in a panic, and that night after dinner, he took her for a short walk into the forest. Standing in a small glade, much like the one in the burial ground, he poured out his heart and soul to her before proposing. He even held both of her hands in his and got down on one knee when he asked her to be his wife. But if he was expecting her to respond with a joyous yes while throwing her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses, he was sadly mistaken. Instead, Alice hesitated for a moment, clearly caught off guard by his offer of marriage. When she finally replied, she told him that while she loved him too, she didn't know what to say, and that there were many things to be considered about such a union. Since their marriage would not be accepted by white society, it would not be an easy life for the two of them. How much trouble would this cause if word got out to the people living in the settlements? Would either of them be able to show their faces there without trouble breaking out? And what of their children? Would they be scorned outcasts for being half breeds? And would their marriage survive all of this, or would the stress and strain eventually drive them apart? Stating that she needed time to think before she gave him an answer to such a life changing question, Alice placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before walking away. Feeling his world slipping away from him as her hands slipped out of his, Uncas watched the love of his life depart as she returned to their camp. Later that night, he restlessly tossed and turned, unable to sleep knowing she was lying behind the partition he and Chingachgook had erected in the wigwam for the sake of her privacy.

That was two weeks ago. And within two days of his proposal to Alice, Uncas began to notice a peculiar change in everyone's behavior. Several times whispered conversations between Alice and Cora suddenly ceased the moment they saw him approaching. The same thing even occurred in conversations between Chingachgook and Nathaniel, and between Nathaniel and Cora. Soon Uncas began to suspect a conspiracy of some sort was going on between all of them. Adding fuel to that suspicion was an unexpected trip to the settlement for supplies a few days ago. Normally Uncas wouldn't have thought anything of a supply run, except that they had just made one not long ago, and no supplies were needed. Then there was the secretive manner in which Cora and Alice went over the list of needed items with Nathaniel, who would be making the trip to town. The final indication that something was in the wind was Chingachgook's adamant refusal to allow Uncas to accompany Nathaniel.

No, something was up. And whatever it was, it was happening today. Of that, Uncas was sure. Shifting positions as he sat under the tree, Uncas crossed one ankle over the other and folded his arms across his chest. Redirecting his attention from the water to his brother, who was standing knee deep in the river, he watched Nathaniel as he stood still as a stone, eyes intent on the water, with a spear poised to strike. They didn't need fish, Uncas thought to himself. They had plenty of freshly smoked fish stored away, caught only a few days before Nathaniel's lodge was finished. But when Chingachgook suddenly announced he wanted fresh trout for dinner that night, Nathaniel had immediately agreed, and Uncas found himself unwillingly accompanying his brother on the fishing expedition, again at Chingachgook's insistence. Something was going on. And whatever it was, his father didn't want him around when it happened.

There was only one thing it could be, Uncas concluded. Alice was leaving. Sensing that whatever everyone was plotting behind his back was about to take place, he had asked her before dinner last night if she had made her decision about marrying him. Replying that this was not a good time to talk as she had to help Cora with supper, she then quickly hurried away to assist with the preparation of the evening meal. She then avoided him the rest of the night, and retired early to bed. That's when Uncas knew Alice was going to leave. And this fishing trip was just a ruse to get him out of the way so that he wouldn't create a scene by trying to stop her from going. Chingachgook knew how Uncas felt about Alice. But he also wanted his son to marry a woman from their cousins, the Lenape. Would his father go so far to insure that Uncas did just that? And would Alice just up and leave without saying goodbye? She knew how much he loved her. And he knew she loved him too. But apparently she didn't love him enough.

 _"_ _Brother! We've enough fish. It's time to return home."_ Nathaniel called out from the river, breaking Uncas out of his reverie. Wading to shore, he sat down beside a gloomy Uncas as he put on his leggings and moccasins. "It will be suppertime soon, and Father is wanting his fish. Come on!" he added with a grin, slugging his younger brother in the arm.

As the brothers traveled the short distance back to camp, Uncas suspected they would find the place empty, as Chingachgook and Cora had no doubt spirited Alice away as soon as he and Nathaniel had left. Upon arriving home, he saw he was right. Not a soul was in sight. With a broken heart, Uncas followed Nathaniel over to his lodge. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to move when all he wanted to do was fall to the ground and weep for the woman he loved and would never see again. Lifting the door flap, Uncas stepped inside.

 _"_ _SURPRISE!"_

Staring wide eyed and open mouth, a startled Uncas looked on in amazement as his father and Cora stood before him with wide smiles on their faces. And standing beside Cora was Alice, a brilliant smile lighting up her own face as she clapped her hands together and jumped up and down with glee. Behind him, Nathaniel slapped Uncas on the back as he walked over to join the others, while a badly out of tune chorus of "Happy Birthday" filled the air as the foursome serenaded him with it. Nearby, on a table Chingachgook had made for the newlyweds as a housewarming gift, sat a slightly lopsided birthday cake, bedecked with a number of tiny thin candles which burned brightly. And beside the cake were four gifts wrapped in calico and tied with sinew.

"What's all this?" Uncas asked, trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Today is your birthday, and I wanted to surprise you with a party!" a merry Alice replied. Darting over to him, she threw her arms around his neck and firmly planted a kiss on his lips, much to Nathaniel's amusement.

"But….how did you know it was my birthday?" Uncas asked after Alice freed his lips. Although relieved and delighted to be so wrong about his suspicions, he nevertheless did not know what to make of this strange Yengeese custom.

"I told her." Chingachgook replied. "When your mother told me she was with child, I counted each day that passed after that, waiting for the one on which you would be born. That blessed moment arrived on the 19th day of the Strawberry Moon. And every year on that day, I have said a prayer of thanks to the Master of Life for blessing me with my beloved son."

"When you asked me to marry you, Uncas, I needed to know how your father would feel about our marriage." Alice explained further. "I knew how important it was to him for you to marry and raise a family. But I did not know how he would feel about you raising that family with me. So I spoke to him about it. During our conversation, he told many things about you, mostly about what you were like while you were growing up. He also spoke of how happy he was when you were born, and it was then he told me that your birthday was soon approaching. That's when I came up with the idea of surprising you with this party!"

"So this is how the Yengeese celebrate the day on which someone was born? By giving them a party?" Uncas asked, a slightly embarrassed grin on his face.

"Yes, it is." replied Alice. "It is a custom among my people to honor the ones they care about with a party and gifts on that day. And it is a custom you had best get used to if you are to be my husband." she added with a coy smile.

"Your husband? Does…does that mean that your answer is yes?" Uncas asked, anxious anticipation filling his handsome features. Alice responded with a single word, followed by a kiss.

"Yes."

~The End~


End file.
